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Peel cops’ letter claims board deems them ‘racist’

Peel police board chair Amrik Ahluwalia says he is disappointed by a letter from the Peel Regional Police Association saying his board has labelled its members "racist." (Bernard Weil / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

Another grenade has been launched by Peel police at the board responsible for overseeing the force — the third vitriolic letter sent in two weeks, this time by the union that represents rank-and-file officers, alleging the board has labelled police members “racist.”

As a result of the alleged actions by the board, a complaint has been filed against it by the Peel Regional Police Association to the Ontario Civilian Police Commission, which provides policing oversight in the province.

The formal letter to Peel residents, dated June 30, comes two weeks after the board voted to conduct a far-reaching independent equity and diversity audit of the entire force.

Peel Regional Police Association president Paul Black penned the harshly worded letter, similar to one written by the Peel Police Senior Officers Association to lower ranking officers last week and a letter written by Chief Jennifer Evans to board chair Amrik Ahluwalia two weeks ago.

The latest correspondence to “the Residents of Peel” alleges that the board, by calling for a review of the force’s hiring and promotions practices through an equity-diversity lens, “endorsed the narrative that labels our members racist.”

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Ahluwalia sent the Star an emailed response to the police union’s letter Thursday. “I am disappointed by this letter and the others recently written by the Senior Officers Association that call into question the actions of the Police Services Board. Despite assertions to the contrary, our goal has always been to modernize policing in Peel Region so that our police force may serve as a model to the rest of the country.”

Black’s letter to Peel residents states that the board’s vote for the equity audit came after a deputation by the group Peel Coalition Against Racialized Discrimination. The union letter states the association is not opposed to the equity audit but Black states that the audit was called by the board “without taking the time to research and verify” allegations of systemic discrimination made by the local community group.

P-CARD, during its deputation to the board, pointed to the force’s own carding data (the practice is known as a street check in Peel) which shows black residents over a recent five-year period were three times as likely to be carded by Peel officers than whites; and also cited data that shows the force does not reflect the diversity of Peel in its hiring or in its senior officer ranks. Last year, Evans ignored a board vote to stop street checks.

Ahluwalia denied that the board called for the audit because of the P-CARD deputation: “The Board is not responding to one presentation by one group. It is conducting this review based on its obligation to ensure the public interest is maintained.”

He said resistance to the audit is out of place with common, progressive organizational practices.

“We passed a motion to conduct a diversity and equity audit into the Police Services to better understand if Peel Police are meeting the needs of a rapidly changing and highly diverse population. The questions that will be asked include whether hiring reflects the population, whether women and minorities are being given opportunities for advancement, and whether the Police Services diversity and equity outreach efforts into the community are effective. Most large corporations undergo audits of their departments and activities on a regular basis.”

Ahluwalia said the union’s latest action makes it difficult to address necessary reforms to policing that will better serve the community.

“As the citizens’ representatives overseeing the police, we as members of the Police Services Board want to work with Chief Evans to do this work, but it is difficult when we are openly and publicly criticized by the union representing our police officers and the very same officers that report to the Chief.”

Union president Black could not be reached for comment.

His letter asks residents to contact their local Peel Region council member to share their views on the increasingly volatile issue. Last week when Chief Evans appeared before a Peel regional council meeting, Councillor Elaine Moore was the only member who addressed the “elephant in the room,” as she put it.

On Thursday Moore responded to the union request to have councillors weigh in, after she saw the letter.

“All of us around that council table are deeply, profoundly thankful for the job our police force does to protect Peel residents,” Moore said. “But we as councillors are elected to give voice to the residents who elect us. And more and more of my residents are bringing up concerns about street checks targeting visible minorities, and the lack of diversity on the force.”

Moore said that community meetings and events often mentioned by Evans as a sign that her force is proactive on diversity issues “are meaningless if no real action comes out of them.

“It’s not enough to tell people that you are having meetings or attending dinners and festivals.”

“I expressed to the chief the need to walk the talk. The equity audit is something I fully support, just like my support for the board’s position on street checks, after I heard from residents. I said that right to the chief last week.”

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